News & Events
Medina-Walpole Steps Down as Geriatrics Chief
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Thomas Caprio, M.D.
Annette Medina-Walpole, M.D.
Long-time geriatrician Annette Medina-Walpole, MD, is stepping down as chief of the Division of Geriatrics & Aging to focus on expanding and elevating the impact of the Aging Institute.
Thomas Caprio, MD, will continue as interim chief during the search for a new division leader. He is chief medical officer for University of Rochester Medicine Home Care, medical director of Hospice, and leads the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center.
A thought leader on aging matters, Medina-Walpole, who served as chief for 12 years, worked closely with Medicine Chair Ruth O’Regan, MD, and immediate past chair Paul Levy, MD, to advance geriatric medicine.
“Dr. Medina-Walpole’s leadership elevated geriatric care, research and education across the institution, and created opportunities to strengthen our community’s aging adults,” O’Regan said. “We are also grateful for her vision and commitment to mentoring trainees and early career faculty.”
She will continue as director of the UR Aging Institute (URAI), integrating the University’s research, patient care, education and community outreach to empower aging adults to live with vitality. She recently completed a year-long sabbatical to develop a new strategic plan for the institute.
“The role of division chief shaped me. Not just as a geriatrician or a leader, but as a person,” she said proudly. “It is truly amongst the greatest joys of my career, and a source of tremendous professional fulfillment. Our division has a culture that we built together—one of genuine care, not just for our patients, but for one another.”
She is active in the American Geriatrics Society, where she has served in numerous leadership roles including past president, board chair and leader of scientific sessions, professional education and junior faculty committees, which have allowed her to connect with and mentor junior faculty across our nation. She was also co-editor in chief of the Geriatric Review Syllabus.
Debra Haring Excellence in Research Awards Given to Vera Gorbunova and Kevin Parker
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
This year’s Debra Haring Excellence in Research Awards will be presented to Vera Gorbunova, the Doris Johns Cherry Professor in the Department of Biology and co-director of the Rochester Aging Research Center, and the late Kevin Parker, previously the William F. May Professor of Engineering and dean emeritus of what was then known as the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Each year, the honor recognizes one faculty member from each school whose research has had a transformational impact on their field, or whose body of work has changed their field in positive ways.
Geriatrics Faculty Named PALTmed Fellows
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
From left: Dallas Nelson, MD, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Erin Brooks, PA-C, and Thomas Caprio, MD.
(Not pictured: Sarah Howd, MD.)
Five Geriatrics & Aging faculty members are among the inaugural class of fellows of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed)—more than any other institution.
Congratulations to: Erin Brooks, PA-C, Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Sarah Howd, MD, Dallas Nelson, MD, and Thomas Caprio, MD, acting chief of the Geriatrics & Aging Division. They and 55 other fellows from across the country were recognized for their leadership and commitment to advancing the field and organization.
“This recognition reflects the depth of leadership and innovation coming out of the University of Rochester in post-acute and long-term care. Having the largest representation in this inaugural class of PALTmed fellows speaks not only to the caliber of our clinician leaders, but to our sustained commitment to advancing care for older adults across care settings nationally,” Caprio said.
PALTmed represents and supports the post-acute and long-term health care workforce and leads the way in empowering these compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care.
Geriatrics Faculty Elected to National Leadership Positions
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Timothy Holahan, D.O.
Dallas Nelson, M.D.
Two Geriatrics & Aging faculty members were elected to leadership positions in the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed), the only medical specialty society representing and supporting the post-acute and long-term health care workforce. Starting April 1, Dallas Nelson, MD, will serve as vice president of PALTmed’s Board of Directors, and Timothy Holahan, DO, will be the first vice chair of the association’s House of Delegates.
PALTmed aims to empower “compassionate and skilled clinicians to deliver person-centered care in the post-acute, and long-term care continuum.” By supporting and educating current and future health care professionals, the association aims to improve the quality of life for people in post-acute and long-term care.
As vice president, Nelson will serve on PALTmed’s executive committee, which provides strategic direction for the association. She will serve as vice president for one year, followed by a year as president-elect. In 2028, she will begin a one-year term as president and chair of the board of directors, defining the organization’s focus and strategic priorities.
Holahan will serve as the inaugural vice chair of the House of Delegates, a newly established leadership role on PALTmed’s Board of Directors. In his new position, Holahan will help facilitate collaboration and policy initiatives throughout the organization and support the development of policy resolutions. As a voting board member, he will contribute to strategic discussions that guide the future of the specialty with the goal of improving care in long-term care settings.